Capitol Updates

Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026

Spread the News! NSEA members may click here to sign up and receive our Capitol Update newsletter to provide you with the latest information on education legislation and funding. You may also forward this to the personal email address of your NSEA colleagues and encourage them to sign up. 

NSEA Legislative Dinner, March 10 -- Register Now

Dine with your senator: This year’s NSEA Legislative Dinner will be at the Champions Club in Lincoln on Tuesday, March 10. The reception will begin at 5 p.m., with dinner at 6:15 p.m. There is no cost; mileage is paid. For those traveling more than 120 miles, substitute costs and sleeping rooms will be available if your senator plans to attend.  

Member Registration: https://www.nsea.org/2026LegisDinner 

Oppose Governor's Private School Voucher Push

On Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, the Appropriations Committee held a hearing on Governor Pillen's proposed mid-biennium budget adjustments in LB1071, including a $7 million allocation to the Department of Labor for a new education savings account (ESA) program that would fund private school vouchers. Proponents now describe this as "gap funding" for prior scholarships, but it directly disregards the voters' clear decision in the November 2024 Save Our Schools referendum supported by the NSEA, which repealed the previous private school scholarship law. 

NSEA President Tim Royers testified strongly in opposition, stressing that the proposal is "duplicative and unnecessary given the existence of the new federal tax credit program that Governor Pillen has opted our state into." Beginning in 2027, this new federal program will offer dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributions supporting students in private, homeschool, and public settings without drawing on state funds, preserving resources for public schools. 

NSEA remains deeply concerned about the governor's approach, which attempts to create the program via a budget bill rather than standalone legislation, potentially bypassing thorough legislative review. Royers highlighted that "putting it under the Department of Labor, rather than Education, raises significant alarm bells," and delegating rulemaking to an executive agency undermines the legislative branch—consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo.  

NSEA appreciates the Appropriations Committee's preliminary decision to exclude this $7 million appropriation from its preliminary budget report, demonstrating a commitment to prioritizing public education funding over voucher expansions that divert resources from Nebraska's public schools. Public funds should support public education and will strengthen our schools for all Nebraska students. 

CALL TO ACTION: NSEA calls on members and supporters to contact the members of the Appropriations Committee. Thank them for not funding the program in their preliminary report, and urge them to maintain that stance by ensuring no public dollars are used for private school vouchers moving forward.  

Sen. Rob Clements, Chair, Elmwood 
rclements@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Christy Armendariz, Vice Chair, Omaha 
carmendariz@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh, Omaha 
mcavanaugh@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Myron Dorn, Adams 
mdorn@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Robert Dover, Norfolk 
rdover@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Loren Lippincott 
llippincott@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Jason Prokop, Lincoln 
jprokop@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Ashlei Spivey, Omaha 
aspivey@leg.ne.gov 

Sen. Paul Strommen, Sidney 
pstrommen@leg.ne.gov 

Your Voice at the Capitol -- No Travel Required

NSEA members from every corner of Nebraska deserve to be heard at the Legislature. If you have a classroom story or legislative concern you want your senator to know about, but can’t make the trip to Lincoln, we are here to help. 

Share a brief summary of your story with us (click here), and we’ll coordinate with fellow NSEA members nearer to the State Capitol to meet with your senator in person, deliver your message, and bring back a response. Simply submit a one-sentence headline, a paragraph or two describing the issue, and the outcome you would like to see; then we will take it from there.  

Your experiences matter, and your story can help shape policy and strengthen our collective voice across Nebraska! 

Greater Higher Ed Transparency Bill Advances

The NSEA is celebrating a significant step forward for postsecondary educators as LB956, introduced by Sen. John Cavanaugh on behalf of NSEA's higher education members, has advanced to Select File—the second round of legislative debate. This milestone, achieved with placement on Select File on Feb. 18, follows the bill's advancement through General File and the adoption of AM1943, a clarifying amendment by Senator Cavanaugh.  

LB956 requires Nebraska's public postsecondary institutions to collect and report compensation data, including salaries and benefits for faculty and staff, to the Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. This increased transparency will help address salary trends, equity issues, and recruitment challenges in higher education. 

NSEA President Tim Royers testified in strong support of the bill during the Education Committee's hearing on Jan. 26, 2026, emphasizing how vital comparable compensation data is for effective collective bargaining at the postsecondary level. Unlike K-12 districts, where salary schedules allow straightforward comparisons, higher education data—often locked behind proprietary systems like CUPA-HR—has been inaccessible to educators. LB956 levels the playing field by making essential information publicly available, enabling informed negotiations and better advocacy for fair pay amid dwindling resources. 

We extend heartfelt thanks to Sen. John Cavanaugh for championing this bill and serving as a dedicated partner to NSEA and our postsecondary members. His leadership has brought this reasonable, targeted reform closer to becoming law, benefiting educators across community colleges, state colleges, and the University of Nebraska system. 

NSEA urges continued support as LB956 moves through Select File debate. This progress represents an important advancement toward fairness and informed decision-making in Nebraska's higher education landscape. 

Final Week of Bill Hearings Scheduled

Committee hearings are a crucial component of the legislative process, offering lawmakers an avenue to directly engage with educators, parents, and other stakeholders regarding the potential consequences of proposed legislation. Your voice holds significant influence in shaping the outcome of these bills. We will keep you informed about the scheduling of hearings throughout the session. Unless otherwise indicated, all hearings commence promptly at 1:30 p.m. and will be live streamed on NET. For your convenience, you can watch the hearings online here. 

Tuesday, Feb. 24

LB1051 (Educ Cmte) Change a definition relating to the University of Nebraska 
NSEA Position: Monitor (submit comments online before 8:00am CST on 2/24/2026) 

LB1052 (Educ Cmte) Change terminology relating to the Student Discipline Act 
NSEA Position: Monitor (submit comments online before 8:00am CST on 2/24/2026) 

LB1262 (Andersen) Adopt the Foreign Adversaries Out of Postsecondary Education Act 
NSEA Position: Monitor (submit comments online before 8:00am CST on 2/24/2026) 

Friday, Feb. 27

LB906 (Juarez) Prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing facial coverings or disguises and require officers to wear appropriate identification 
NSEA Position: Support (submit comments online before 8:00am CST on 2/27/2026) 

LB907 (Juarez) Prohibit law enforcement officers from entering community safe spaces to enforce immigration law 
NSEA Position: Support (submit comments online before 8:00am CST on 2/27/2026) 

LB1216 (McKinney) Provide for educational services for prisoners 
NSEA Position: Support (submit comments online before 8:00am CST on 2/27/2026) 

DOWNLOAD THE NSEA CAPITOL UPDATE APP to receive alerts during the legislative session and stay up-to-date on events and education news from the Legislature. Click here for Apple or Android – or search for “NSEA Capitol Update.” 

*****